David Bateson to once again voice Agent 47.

So, yeah, it's as if the general perception of Hitman: Absolution has taken a complete u-turn as of late and with every additional piece of news, the game keeps looking better and better. I was personally never all too miffed at the possibility that Bateson wasn't returning, but I can understand why some others wouldn't be quite as accepting, given that David is more or less Agent 47.. just, y'know without the whole actually being a Hitman with a barcode on his head thing... as far as we know! But anywhoo all's good! The man's returning to carry on what is most likely his most recognisable role within... anything, really, and I'm sure this is especially joyous news for some.

After a long search IO Interactive are pleased to unveil that the voice of Agent 47 will once again be acted by David Bateson who has been the voice of Hitman since the year 2000 with the seminal PC release Codename 47. Alongside Bateson, William Mapother (star of hit TV series LOST) has performed the motion capture work for Agent 47 which was recorded at Giant Studios.

Speaking about the decision to return to Bateson after the studio earlier declared he wouldn’t be the voice of 47 in Hitman: Absolution, Brand Director Jon Brooke said “IO and Bateson have been bed fellows for over a decade and like all long running relationships sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder. Looking back I think we were just playing hard to get.”

Both Bateson and Mapother now join a long list of talent announced for the game including Marsha Thomason, Keith Carradine, Vivica Fox and Powers Boothe.

Good thing it's a Hitman game where the protagonist barely talks... Shouldn't be too hard to switch up the audio files of a few cutscenes and some conversations. Just imagine if Rockstar got McCaffrey to record Max Payne 3 dialogue after the game was already done! Now that would've been a disaster.

Wait, he was not the voice for Absolution Hitman up to this point? So what are they going to record all of hitmans lines between now and cert?

I guess hitman himself wont probably have too many lines, but still kinda weird it's this late in the process.

Good news tho.

Everything about the promotion and inside look into the development for this game has been super weird. Like how they stated that they wanted to make Absolution more linear or whatever, and then they go and show gameplay footage of what is quintessential Hitman, and it makes you wonder just what the Hell they actually meant by ''linear''.

As for Bateson, they may have brought him back a little while before but wanted to officially announce it once all of his work is finished. Plus like you said, Hitman isn't exactly much of a talker so it probably wouldn't take too long, and Bateson is only doing the voice, not the mo-cap. Curious to know why all of this occurred in the first place, though... Much like with the ''linear'' statement, you'd think they wanted the public to be upset with how things are shaping up, before they realised ''Huh, being hated by everyone actually isn't all it's cracked up to be!'' only to then swoop back down and remedy everything everyone had an issue with.

Next thing y'know it turns out M.Night Shyamalan was the creative marketing director behind it all.

Wait... why is this a "Fuck the Internet?" thing? It seems like series fans were upset, and IO made the change to appease their long-time supporters. Bateson was 47 since the start of the series and has always been very enthusiastic about the series and a generally awesome guy to his fans? Isn't this more a case of "Well done, Internet"?

Or have we reached such a Mass Effect backlash level that we view any consumer grumbling as "entitled whining."

I'm surprised, seemed like they were fully set on Hollywood actors. Guess the got cold feet after all the controversy. Bateson certainly played it smart by not jumping on the outrage train with fans and burning his bridges to IO.

Or have we reached such a Mass Effect backlash level that we view any consumer grumbling as "entitled whining."

This has been the case since gaming became a hipster past-time activity. Series standards don't matter anymore, series trademark designs don't matter, basic game elements don't matter, if you complain about anything not being right, you're a whiner who thinks he's entitled.

This is the only reason developers can strip features away, makes games shorter, release games with shitty settings, replace voice actors and so forth. It's the morons who think they're smart and cool for not "complaining." They're hip with it, they like taking it in the ass.

Yes, I don't see how this is a good thing really. I mean, when does it come out? Is he phoning it in? This to me is just another way for people to buy the game, especially worried fans of the past Hitman games. I mean, did they just fire the guy already doing it and quickly have David Bateson do the lines? Ugh, I'm sorry, this is just dumb to me. Now what? Michael Ironside's back playing Sam Fisher? No. I didn't have a problem with the change in the first place, and I find this abrupt change to be too much even if he is the original actor.

Yes, I don't see how this is a good thing really. I mean, when does it come out? Is he phoning it in? This to me is just another way for people to buy the game, especially worried fans of the past Hitman games. I mean, did they just fire the guy already doing it and quickly have David Bateson do the lines? Ugh, I'm sorry, this is just dumb to me. Now what? Michael Ironside's back playing Sam Fisher? No. I didn't have a problem with the change in the first place, and I find this abrupt change to be too much even if he is the original actor.

As I've already mentioned, it's very possible that they already done all of the voice work before they decided to officially announce his return. And Agent 47 has never been the talkative type either, so it probably wouldn't take very long to record and implement all of the 'new' dialogue should they really have only just hired him back on.

As for 47's previous actor, that is a shitty deal I agree. But I don't even know if they officially announced who his 'replacement' was? Maybe it's the actor who's still doing the mo-cap, which means he's still technically getting to play the role of 47. Maybe they planned to bring Bateson back all along and the original Absolution VA was knowingly just a place-holder. At this point it's useless to speculate because the whole affair is so downright strange and hard to pinpoint at this moment in time.

@Yummylee: That is true, but I just wanted to say, I believe Agent 47 will be talking more in this than the previous games because this time around it's more about his take on what's going on since it's only him. I think you've read or heard about that right? The other guy probably got paid what he was originally supposed to get, it's just that I hate when developers do something to blatantly get more sales, and I feel this was a way to do it for those that are at all worried about the game.

@NTM: I know that Absolution is much more of a 'cinematic' game, and there's no doubt going to be a bit more 47 dialogue than previously seen, but I doubt he's actually going break into monologues here and there, and his overall amount of dialogue will still be relatively slim. It's true that Diane isn't around anymore, which implies that 47 may be the one explaining his own mission briefing with the same attention detail, but I can't help but doubt that as well.

Also I really don't get ''it's just that I hate when developers do something to blatantly get more sales, and I feel this was a way to do it for those that are at all worried about the game.'' I mean seriously?? You're supposed to be saying that at stuff like the initially perceived action-priority they had with the game, not the fact that they're bringing back the original voice actor. It's true that this outcome may sway a few fans, but they're the old fans who have been with the series potentially from the very beginning; this was a decision that benefits the fans and the fans only, which is frankly a rare commodity these days. How can you be angry at a developer actually listening to what their fans understandably wanted in the game?

Or have we reached such a Mass Effect backlash level that we view any consumer grumbling as "entitled whining."

This has been the case since gaming became a hipster past-time activity. Series standards don't matter anymore, series trademark designs don't matter, basic game elements don't matter, if you complain about anything not being right, you're a whiner who thinks he's entitled.

This is the only reason developers can strip features away, makes games shorter, release games with shitty settings, replace voice actors and so forth. It's the morons who think they're smart and cool for not "complaining." They're hip with it, they like taking it in the ass.

Not to mention the people that know there's a problem and still say "but I'm going to buy it anyways and so are you". No, fuck you, I'm not, and exercise some self control.

@Yummylee: I disagree, I can say that about whatever aspect of any game I want if I feel that's right. Also, I'm not angry about it, but I'm not happy about it either, I just find it awkward. They also shouldn't have withheld this news, it should have been announced right when they got him, and if they had just got him, it's even more awkward. They should have just had him do the voice all along. Yes it is for the fans, but I still think it's about the money as well, and yes, it's fine because they have to make a living, but still, it doesn't seem right in a way.

I mean, the only question that needs to be asked, is why? Why get him now? Why not have him just do it originally? To me, it's less so "Well the fans want him, we have to get him, we love our fans." It's more "Well the fans want him, we have to get him. Anyone that was worried about the game, shouldn't be, to add to this, we're getting the original voice actor. Hopefully we'll get back anyone that was worried. Oh, yes I will take that money now." Whatever though, I guess, now, I don't care. I'm sure they do appreciate the fans, but almost as always, it's more about the money than it is the fans. Hopefully it'll turn out great though.

I'm not the pessimistic type. I would say you're right, but I don't believe this is happening because the fans come first. I could be wrong of course. Whatever, whatever, whatever. Again, hopefully it'll turn out great, because in the end, that's all that matters.

@NTM: I think that's why it's useless to discuss the details, because it's all so strange. I mean I highly doubt that whoever 47's voice actor is would have actually affected the sales all that much; it would barely be noticeable in the grand scheme, I imagine. The fact of the matter is, though, whatever their intentions may be, the fans struck gold in the end and there's really no downside. Unless someone just so happens to have disliked Bateson's Agent 47 performances for one reason or another of course...

It's probably a lot like what happened with Max Payne 3 in that the plan was probably to get David Bateson all along (like they always intended to get James McCaffrey to return as Max) but didn't want to say anything specific until they finally got him locked down and his voicework recorded so no one could accuse them of pulling a fast one.

I had made my peace with the fact that Bateson wasn't going to be returning as the voice of Agent 47. But dude, this makes me really happy! I'm glad to see IO hasn't forgotten their roots and extended an olive branch to Bateson. From what I had originally heard he auditioned and was overlooked for another voice actor. I guess enough fans spoke up for them to reconsider.

Very good. David Bateson is 47 to me, just like Doug Cockle is Geralt from The Witcher, and James McCaffrey is Max Payne. I don't want anyone else to voice them until retirement or death. Now I just need Michael Ironside back for Splinter Cell, you hear Ubisoft?

@Yummylee: I wasn't referring to people that didn't really notice the details, I meant fans of the previous games, and how some (or a lot?) didn't like how they were changing the voice. It could have turned some off, and to make it so no fan would have any doubts, they got the original back. That's what I meant, to make sure that at least the fans would want to buy the game, so they'd at least have some money. I read into it though, so I don't really feel the same way as I did before.

It's probably a lot like what happened with Max Payne 3 in that the plan was probably to get David Bateson all along (like they always intended to get James McCaffrey to return as Max) but didn't want to say anything specific until they finally got him locked down and his voicework recorded so no one could accuse them of pulling a fast one.

My theory is that those voice actors know how important and iconic their voices are to these long running franchises so they ask for big money and the publishers refuse and try to drop the price which is why it takes so long for them to "settle" and announce their return.

well, i'll shut it, but i still wont get it as new, no $$ goes from my wallet to those idiots, Vivienne is still out, & to me thats a huge deal since shes the one whose had the most lines throughout the games.

they only did this after they realised they couldnt find anyone to replace him, cause he cant be replaced.

to many Diana is a non important secondary character, so they still replaced her. srew em' !!

& NO, Bateson did not ask for more $$, he & Vivienne did not at first get any kind of response from IOI nor SE at all. later lawyers told them to not talk about it online with fans anymore, so this is all on IOI & SE.

& Ironside himself wanted to retire, so the best would be to have a new character all together..

It's funny, because I initially thought his voice acting was terrible when I first started playing the Hitman franchise one game at a time, but his voice grows on you and it's so distinct that, coupled with the fact that Agent 47 is *physically* based off the actor, it's impossible to imagine him any differently.

Believe it or not, this news may have pushed me into buying the game sooner than I anticipated.

And yes, Jesper Kyd would round out the package.

It's not often I'm compelled to extract the raw audio files out of a game because a soundtrack is so good.

But this will never happen because he's already been sniped for "bigger and better" projects, and the game is so close to release that unless it was some long unannounced thing, there wouldn't be enough time to slap together a soundtrack.